What is the difference?
on 12/26/09 9:31 am - West Central FL☼RIDA , FL
I just saw your PM and sent you this there too.....
www.docshop.com/education/cosmetic/body/lift/arm/
Arm Lift (Brachioplasty)
If you have recently lost a great deal of weight through bariatric surgery or if several pregnancies have caused you to gain and lose weight over time, you may bothered by drooping excess skin along your upper arm. Brachioplasty, or arm lift, is a plastic surgery procedure that removes excess skin to tighten and tone the appearance of your upper arm. Read on to learn more about the arm lift procedure and variations of the technique such as the mini arm lift.
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Upper Arm Lift
The upper arm lift, also called a brachioplasty, is a technique used to surgically remove excess skin that droops from the upper arm. In most cases, this skin is a result of rapid weight loss or loss of skin elasticity due to the natural aging process.
If the surplus skin on your upper arms keeps you from wearing your favorite clothes or wanting to raise your arms over your head, consider an arm lift to restore a youthful looking contour to your arms.
The upper arm lift operation begins with an incision along the arm. The location and length of the incision will vary depending on the amount of skin you wish to have removed, as well as the location of the excess skin flap. In the most extreme cases, the incision may extend from the armpit to the elbow to remove the maximum amount of skin. Your doctor may create either a curved or z-shaped incision during the procedure to minimize the appearance of scarring after healing.
If you have excess fat on your arms, you may choose to combine your brachioplasty with liposuction for the best results. After suctioning fat and tightening the skin on the arm, your surgeon will remove the surplus skin of your upper arm and complete the lift by suturing the incision closed.
After your arm lift, you will be bandaged and given a prescription for pain medication to ease your discomfort in the first few days after surgery. Keep in mind that a full arm lift is impossible to do without leaving a scar. In time, however, this scar will fade. Most patients feel that the benefits of brachioplasty far outweigh the scars left behind by the surgery.
Mini Arm Lift
The mini arm lift may be an option for patients who need only minor revision to the skin on their upper arms. The procedure for mini arm lift is similar to that of a full arm lift; excess skin and fat are removed to create a more pleasing appearance. The difference, however, is that in a mini arm lift, the incision is much smaller. In most cases, the surgeon can locate the scar in the armpit, where it is much less noticeable than down the length of the upper arm.
The mini arm lift procedure is usually used for patients who have lost a moderate amount of weight due to diet and exercise, or for those who have developed some excess skin through aging. Most bariatric surgery patients will require traditional brachioplasty, as a mini arm lift is unable to provide the drastic revision necessary after extreme weight loss.
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What is a brachioplasty? Somebody was talking about it on this site, and I don't know what it means.
By Michael Law, MD - Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon
With advancing age, and sometimes following major weight loss, the upper arms can become 'flabby', with excess skin that sags when the arm is held upright. Many patients I see with this problem will wear only long-sleeved shirts and dresses. In some patients the problem is primarily excess skin, in others it is mainly excess fat, and many it is a combination of both.
Brachioplasty is designed to remove excess upper arm skin (and some cases, fat as well) and requires an incision that runs from the underarm area to the elbow. The scar is placed in the inner aspect of the upper arm, facing the side of the chest, to help conceal its presence. This is a great operation for fair-skinned patients who are generally in their fifties or older, as the skin is often fairly thin, and results in a scar which is faint and minimally visible. In younger patients, this fairly long scar tends to widen, become pigmented, and even thicken - which means that younger patients must seriously consider if the scar is an acceptable trade-off for the improvement in upper arm contour.
Limited-incision brachioplasty
In some cases, when the skin excess exists primarily in the upper half of the upper arm, the skin excision can be performed in the underarm area only, avoiding the scar along the inner aspect of the upper arm. Underarm incision brachioplasty can often be combined with liposuction to produce a very favorable upper arm contour. This can be a good option for some younger patients and for those with more deeply pigmented skin. In some patients with an 'in between' amount of skin laxity, the underarm incision may be combined with an incision that extends only halfway down the arm, thereby avoiding the 'armpit to elbow' scar
The pain I am having is from the swelling. It is definitely worth it, but there is swelling--rest and elevation help. If you go to your PS they will tell you what they think you need. In my personal opinion a PS wouldn't do the full brachioplasty unless it is needed because the scars aren't pretty or easily hideable. A PS's work is art, and they want it to be pretty!
Make sure you ask your PS were your final scar will be. Mine are at the bottom of my arm, so they are harder to detect unless I am showing you my scars. Some surgeons put them square in the middle of the arms, it is their personal preference. Also ask if you will leave with drains (I know I had upper drains in for a week).
